Devil Trigger

Devil Trigger (often abbreviated as D.T.) is a special power possessed by demons and demonic hybrids which allows them to release their full supernatural potential. While in Devil Trigger, the user will assume their true form. In this form, many of the character's physical and magical attributes are amplified, and the character may have access to upgrades or even additions to their normal abilities like flying or hovering. When playing on higher difficulties, enemies can enter a Devil Trigger-like state after a certain time limit (which is fixed for each enemy). This causes enemies to strengthen their attributes as well as making them attack more often and more powerful.

Recurring Features
While in Devil Trigger, the characters' speed and strength increase, and they constantly recuperate vitality. Additional effects are apparent, though these vary between games, and are usually determined by the equipped weapons or items of the character. For example, Dante will usually gain the ability to hover while in Devil Trigger, but this is obtained by equipping the Alastor in Devil May Cry, the Aerial Heart in Devil May Cry 2, and Nevan in Devil May Cry 3.

Devil Trigger is confirmed to be available to Dante, Sparda, Lucia, Trish, Vergil and Nero. Several other characters, specifically Arkham, Credo, Agnus and Sanctus have abilities resembling Devil Trigger, though it is not known if it is actually the same term.

In Devil May Cry 3 and Devil May Cry 4, activating Devil Trigger causes enemies to take damage and consequently interrupt what they were doing. In Devil May Cry 3, the explosion can be charged by holding down until the chosen number of Devil Trigger runes glow, and then releasing the button. Interestingly in Devil May Cry 4, Dante's DT activation doesn't deliver any damage. Also, when activating Devil Trigger, the character is granted temporary invincibility.

In all but the second game, it is possible to unlock "Super" costumes for the playable characters, whose most prominent feature is their unlimited Devil Trigger. This allows the character to stay in Devil form indefinitely, taking advantage of the power, defense, and speed boosts, but negates the Devil Trigger's ability to heal. (an exception being Super Dante in the original game and Super Legendary Dark Knight and Super Corrupt Vergil, which still retain all devil trigger abilities without losing any runes.) In Devil May Cry 4, the Super costume also reduces the mission rating by a certain percentage when used.

Devil Trigger Gauge
The Devil Trigger Gauge, often abbreviated as D.T. Gauge, shows how much demonic energy the character has. It acts as a power bank, storing demonic energy to be released later. The Devil Trigger Gauge can be seen below the Vitality Gauge, and is represented as a line of runes. In all games the gauge appears as separate symbols, except for Devil May Cry 2 where it is represented as a bar. Most of the time, the player starts with only the necessary three runes to power their demonic form, though at least one exception does exist. The player can extend the D.T Gauge by buying Purple Orbs, allowing them to maintain their form for a longer period of time.

The primary purpose of the DT Gauge is to activate and sustain the Devil Trigger state. The amount of time the user can stay in Devil Trigger is determined by the length of the Devil Trigger Gauge. At least three runes must be filled in order to enter Devil Trigger. Once Devil Trigger is engaged, energy is drained from the gauge until the DT form is cancelled, either voluntarily or when the gauge runs out of energy.

The Devil Trigger Gauge is usually filled by attacking enemies, although it can also be filled by Taunting, raising the Stylish Rank, utilizing Devil Stars, or standing on special platforms appearing in select locations in Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 2. It is also possible to increase the gauge by taking damage in most games, though this is much riskier.

Some techniques, weapons, items, and even enemies also deplete the gauge. The Bangle of Time and Quicksilver Style slow down time for enemies, but constantly reduce the D.T. gauge while in effect. Also, the Doppelganger Style slowly drains the gauge while in use. Using advanced Summoned Swords techniques as Vergil will also deplete the gauge. Some combat techniques, such as Stinger and Kick 13, in Devil May Cry 4 increase the speed at which the DT Gauge drains. The Nightmare-Beta consumes Devil Trigger when fired. Certain enemies, such as Nightmare and Nobodies, possess attacks that in addition to harming the player drains the Devil Trigger Gauge as well.

Items affecting Devil Trigger
The Haywire Neo-Generator from Devil May Cry 3 causes Dante to constantly lose his Vitality in exchange for an infinite Devil Trigger, but cannot be turned off. The Untouchable from Devil May Cry causes the player to become invulnerable while putting him into DT state for a short period of time.

Enemies
On the hardest mode in all games, Dante Must Die, enemies can use Devil Trigger. They enter the state after a set time from the start of a fight, and this time is specific for each demon. Usually in this form they deal more damage, have more health and are harder to knock off balance.

In Devil May Cry 3 the aim in Mission 6 is to overcome three trials of the Temen-ni-gru, the Trial of Wisdom, the Trial of Skill, and the Trial of the Warrior. The latter will consist of a long fight with demons in their Devil Trigger state, no matter the mode. However, their Devil Trigger can be temporarily disabled by unlocking seals on the walls.

In Devil May Cry 4, demonic bosses have a "Desperation Mode", similar to Devil Trigger, when they are low on health. However, it seems to be something separate from normal enemy Devil Trigger, as it appears on all modes. Effects of it vary for each boss;
 * Echidna starts to glow a bright gold aura, her "dragon phase" becomes vulnerable for a timed Buster and she starts throwing her seeds around during several moves.
 * Bael turns purple-red, his ice starts to regenerate faster when destroyed, and his tongue will be immune to firearm shots.
 * Dagon has the same effects as Bael.
 * Berial glows purple-red flames which are difficult to disperse and his attacks will be imbued with fire.

Dante
Dante's exact Devil Trigger form changes throughout the series, though it seems to resemble his father more strongly as the series progresses. In Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 3, the appearance of the Devil Trigger form is dependent on the Devil Arm the character is wielding at the time of assumption, while in other games the character will possess one or two default forms. For more information on how Dante obtains Devil Trigger and detailed differences in each game, see below.

Devil May Cry
In Devil May Cry, Dante cannot use his Devil Trigger until he obtains his first Devil Arm, Alastor. Unlike in Devil May Cry 3, his demonic forms are mature appearances of the Demon whose power he is channelling; Alastor, Ifrit, and even Sparda. However, although his Demonic aura manifests in Sparda's form at several points in the story, he is not able to use Devil Trigger with the Sword of Sparda until he goes up against Mundus. Unlike in later games, Dante appears as a human surrounded by the weapon's aura while in Devil Trigger, and only takes on a demonic form while moving or attacking.

During the aerial battle with Mundus, the Sparda Devil Trigger is permanently activated, and the Devil Trigger button instead summons a flaming dragon to attack Mundus, whose strength is dependent on how many D.T. runes were available to be consumed.

Dante
In Devil May Cry 2. Dante can transform into his Demonic form from the very beginning, and it is also unaffected by the weapon he has equipped. However, he can modify its abilities using the Amulet item. Although this demonic form has a more matured appearance compared to the one used in Devil May Cry 3, it has not quite reached its final state. However, Dante can sometimes access that state, his Majin Form, if he activates his Devil Trigger while at critical health. Dante's Majin Form strongly resembles his father's Demonic form, as well as his brother's "Nelo Angelo" form, but its wings are reptilian/chiropteran, rather than insectoid.

Lucia
Lucia transforms into an angel-bird hybrid, with her whole body covered with white feathers. She is able to shoot these feathers as a ranged weapon, several at once.

Secretary's D.T. is exactly like Lucia's, but is violet in color with a black body coloration, making her resemble a fallen angel, or at least a crow.

Trish
Trish doesn't change her appearance, but assumes a golden aura. She also puts on her sunglasses.

Devil May Cry 3
In Devil May Cry 3, Dante gains Devil Trigger after his first fight with Vergil. After losing to his brother, Dante is impaled with Rebellion. His blood awakens his demon power and he is able to transform, and becomes much more powerful. Dante's demonic forms are quite humanoid, though its exact features, generally its facial structure, cranial crest and the fins on its back, vary with the weapon he has equipped.

Rebellion
Dante's Rebellion Devil Trigger is red and black, with wing-like protrusions on his back that seem to represent his coat. When in this form, pressing and holding the jump button (/) while in the air allows Dante to glide.

Cerberus
Dante's Cerberus Devil Trigger is red and blue, with smaller wings than his Rebellion form. When in this form, Dante's speed is greatly increased, allowing him to run and attack faster than the other Devil Trigger forms.

Agni & Rudra
Dante's Agni & Rudra Devil Trigger is red and orange on his right half, and red and greenish-blue on his left half, to represent the two colors of the swords. Dante's attacks are granted a boost to their elemental properties, dealing more damage to enemies that are weak to fire and wind.

Nevan
Dante's Nevan Devil Trigger is red and purple. It has the longest wings of all the forms, which can be used to fly if the correct ability is purchased. Dante also benefits from faster health regeneration when using Nevan's Devil Trigger.

Beowulf
Dante's Beowulf Devil Trigger is mostly white and black, with some red for a pop of color. Of all the Devil Trigger forms in Devil May Cry 3, Beowulf has the shortest wings. When in this form, Dante benefits from increased defense. This is the same for Vergil, while he wields Beowulf - however, his D.T wings are still as long as the ones in his original D.T form

Doppelganger & Quicksilver
When Dante has the Doppelganger Style or Quicksilver Style equipped, he can still use his Devil Trigger, but must share the Devil Trigger gauge with the abilities of the two styles.

Vergil
Vergil's Devil Trigger is first seen during his second battle with Dante, in the Lair of Judgment, although in the Special Edition, it is usable from the beginning. Like Dante's, Vergil's demonic form retains the same basic shape of a blue, reptilian humanoid, with minor variations depending on the weapon equipped. It is noted that if he activates D.T, its sound will be the same as the basic enemy Devil Triggering in DMC3's Dante Must Die mode.

Devil May Cry: The Animated Series
In the anime, Dante is never revealed to fully incorporate his demonic form. However, during his final battle with the demon Abigail, the two clash in mid-air and Dante gives his full power, which in the process, makes his eyes glow red and his voice become deeper (a recurring effect of Devil Trigger). This event causes an explosion on the area, leaving Sid in his weakened state.

Dante
In Devil May Cry 4, Dante is able to transform into his Demonic form in his very first appearance, in which he is attacked by Nero, and it is unaffected by the weapon he has equipped. This Demonic form is very reptilian; it gives a reptile-looking appearance to Dante's arms and legs, his head seems to produce spiky edges, there are cracks on his chest, and his coat appears to separate into three parts that are shaped much like an insect's wings. He is much more powerful in this form, attacking with greater force and speed, firing magically charged shots from his guns, infusing some of his attacks like Stinger, Pin-up, and Kick 13 with Demonic energy to enhance the damage inflicted on enemies, and using Air Hike and Sky Star twice in one use to gain greater altitude and aerial distance before falling. He also becomes very resistant to knockbacks. In other words, most attacks that hit him will not interrupt his attacks; therefore any skills that require charging (particularly Gilgamesh) will continue despite his taking damage. Exceptions do apply to a few boss attacks though. (e.g. Berial's flame pillar attack)

Nero
Nero, the main protagonist of Devil May Cry 4, also receives a Devil Trigger. He gains his Devil Trigger in Mission 6 after defeating Agnus. While Nero demands answers from the scientist, Agnus’s servants, Bianco Angelos catch him unaware and impale him with their lances. Agnus then tells Nero of his plans, and stabs him once more with a Gladius. Nero almost fades away, but suddenly remembers a moment from his past. Kyrie was endangered, and Nero, in despair, cried out to her. He awakens, takes Yamato, and enters his DT state.

When activated, it seems to appear as a translucent shadow of a demon that encompasses his body, this demon has a noticeable resemblance to the Vergil's Devil Trigger, mainly because of the "sheath" on its left arm, used for storing Yamato when it is not in use, Nero himself only acquires a blue aura, burning red eyes, and a deeper, echoing voice. In Devil Trigger, Nero's Red Queen attack will be accompanied by the demon using a right-handed version of the attack, his Buster will have more gruesome animations and deal more damage, he will also use Summoned Swords everytime he fires his pistol. While in his Devil Trigger state he is also granted limited use to the Yamato while in combat. Unfortunately, Devil Trigger Nero will stun if being attacked, even by Scarecrows.

At first, the creators of the game were going to use an actual demon form, closely resembling the ghostly blue demon behind Nero when he uses his Devil Trigger, but decided to stay with the translucent form. When the game was released, they included a book filled with character references, one of them being Nero's original Devil Trigger.

DmC: Devil May Cry
Like the Devil Trigger of Devil May Cry 4, the Devil Trigger of DmC: Devil May Cry varies starkly between its two users, Dante and Vergil. While it grants both of them health regeneration, greater strength, and the ability to ignore the invulnerability of color-coded enemies, Dante's Devil Trigger focuses on slowing the flow of time and tossing lesser demons into the air, while Vergil's Devil Trigger focuses on generating a doppelganger that can either mimic Vergil's actions or act on its own. Devil Trigger is powered by a meter that fills when dealing damage, and quickly depletes while Devil Trigger is active. When activated, a small chunk of the meter is always consumed, and will disappear even if DT is prematurely ended. However, after that initial burst, the meter will drain normally.

For an unknown reason, Dante and Vergil are unable to enter Devil Trigger if they lose the pendants their mother Eva gave them.

Dante


's Devil Trigger in the DmC universe is different from the DT of the numbered games. In this state, Dante uses a modified version of the Quicksilver Style, using it to slow down time and causing the world to be flooded with flowing light. Instead of transforming into a demon, Dante's hair flushes white, while the sclera of his eyes and his coat glow with a blood red aura. In addition to this, he leaves fiery red footprints whenever he touches the ground.

At the beginning of a Devil Trigger, all minor enemies are launched into the air where they float prone, allowing Dante to unleash a flurry of aerial combos. Against bosses, however, additional different combat options can be accessed by using Devil Trigger, like new grapple points becoming available, or slowing down the boss' attacks.

Vergil


is also capable of Devil Trigger, which he can perform so long as he possesses his pendant. Although his Devil Trigger increases his power, speed, and Vitality regeneration like Dante's, Vergil's Devil Trigger illuminates him within a ghostly blue aura, and focuses on generating a shadowy doppelganger rather than slowing time. Vergil is able to cause a delay between his attacks and the doppelganger's responses, as well as to force the Doppelganger to work within a certain movelist; from its default black state in which it copies Vergil's moves exactly, it can be changed to a white state that uses the standard versions of his techniques, a blue state that uses the Angel versions, and a red state that uses the Demon versions. During both gameplay and cutscenes, Vergil activates his Devil Trigger by plunging Yamato into the ground.

Viewtiful Joe
The spirit of the Alastor Devil Arm appears as Blade Master Alastor in Viewtiful Joe where he has his own Devil Trigger.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3
In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Dante can activate the Devil Trigger as a Hyper Combo that lasts for 10 seconds, increasing his strength by 15%. The Rebellion Devil Trigger is used for the model, though the Sparda-style Devil Trigger is used instead with Dante's DLC Costume for the game. Dante can perform two of Nevan's techniques in DT mode. Dante can also tag out to keep his Devil Trigger effect permanent, unless tagged back in. Plus, his sound clips are only limited to deep roars and his taunt has no dialogue until it wears off. This appears to be a throwback to Ragna the Bloodedge's Blood Kain Distortion Drive from Blazblue, as Ragna is somewhat based on Dante.

Vergil also uses Devil Trigger as a Level 1 Hyper Combo and although it does not allow him any new special moves like Dante, though if the player has a remaining three bars of HC Gauge they may activate Dark Angel. This Hyper Combo shows Vergil slashing the opponent while Summoned Swords accumulate in the background. Finally, he returns back to his human form while the Swords pierce the enemy. This is the only move in the game that requires four HC Gauges and is the strongest, taking 610,000 points off of the opponent's health.

Despite having the ability during Devil May Cry 2, Trish does not have any Devil Trigger during the game.

Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale
's Devil Trigger operates identically to in DmC: Devil May Cry; upon activation, Dante's hair changes white and his coat is stained blood-red, although the veins on his face do not pop. Meanwhile, the scenery fades into monochrome and enemies float helplessly in mid-air until they are attacked, and are killed with only one hit. It is useful to use your guns as they have long range.

Development
The Devil Trigger forms seen in Devil May Cry 3 were designed by Kazuma Kaneko, a character designer for who designed the characters and demons for the Shin Megami Tensei series. This was done as part of a deal to have Dante included as a cameo in Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, as Kaneko is a big fan of the Devil May Cry series.

The Devil May Cry 4 Devil's Material Collection showcases a handful of concept sketches of Devil Trigger for both Dante and Nero. Concepts for the former notably include both wings and a tail whilst the latter shows a fully armored devil form which bears many similarities to Vergil's Yamato Devil Trigger, including a claw-like sheath on the arm and wing-like tailcoats.